Page 118 of The Billionaire Who Hated Me (Until He Loved Me)

“I can stop looking now,” I announce.“This is the man.”

Just then, Millicent comes flying through the lobby doors.Her mouth falls open and her eyes go huge.

“Oh.My.Lanta.”

Her gaze goes from Cal to me and back to Cal again.“You were not exaggerating, Victoria.”She smiles at Cal.“Things are going according to plan, I take it?”

“I hope so,” he says.“Thank you for all your help.I couldn’t have pulled it off without you.”

They’ve lost me.“Wait… you know Millicent?”

Cal leans in and shakes my assistant’s hand.“Just over the phone.”

“What do you meanplan?You’ve been talking on the phone?”I ask.

Cal turns to me.He either doesn’t realize that everyone is still staring at us, or he doesn’t care.“Victoria, how do you feel about surprises?”

Oh.I see what he’s doing.I give him a big smile.“It depends on who’s doing the surprising.”

CHAPTER 62

Cal

With my left hand, I steer the rented SUV eastward on Interstate 8.We’re headed to the Gillespie airport, where the StellaR Tech private jet awaits.With my right hand, I cradle Victoria’s hand, my fingers wrapped gently around hers.

I won’t let go of her.If I do, she might disappear into the ether, like so many of my nighttime visions.We’ve been out of the city for about twenty minutes now, but her face is still filled with wonder.

She’s probably a little shell-shocked.That’s understandable.Once we left the lobby, Millicent and I moved Victoria’s stuff from her car into the back of the SUV.Victoria quickly hugged Millicent goodbye, handed her the keys to that nice shiny new Audi of hers, and told her she could drive it to Colorado.

And then we were off.

Victoria is still a bit out of breath.She turns to me and asks, “How many questions am I allowed to ask about this surprise?”

“What surprise?”

“You know.The one you and the rest of the world have been plotting behind my back.”

“Oh,thatone.Zero.”

She shakes her head in mock irritation.“You’re a hard man, Cal.”

I shrug.“I’m a MacLaine.You know how we are.”

She laughs.“I sure do.”

I smile to myself.Hard?She’s got no idea how hard.Twenty minutes alone with her in the car and I’m hard as a rock.It’s like she’s the drug and I’m a shameless addict.It takes everything in me not to pull off the interstate and fuck her brains out.

No one has ever accused me of being a romantic.

Until now, anyway.

Because right now, I am focused on how good I want everything to be for her, how special.I want Victoria to remember this surprise for the rest of her life.A quickie on the side of the road isn’t exactly how I pictured us making it official.

Victoria turns away to look out at the El Cajon mountains, but I see her cheeks press up in a smile.I take the opportunity to drag my gaze all up and down her body.I drink her in.She really is right here next to me, with her shiny auburn hair and perfect skin.Her willowy but strong body.I can’t wait to get my hands on her again.And my lips.My tongue.My fingers.

I can’t wait to claim her body with my own, bury myself all the way home inside her.

Romance, I remind myself.Fucking romance.